The skinny: Alex Galchenyuk scored at 3:40 of overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators Friday night at the Bell Centre.
Galchenyuk scored on the rebound of a shot by Brendan Gallagher after Tomas Plekanec picked off a weak pass by Eric Gryba in the Ottawa zone. It was another tight-checking game with Carey Price and Andrew Hammond living up to their billing as two of the top goaltenders in the NHL. The win gave the Canadiens a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series, which moves to Ottawa for Game 3 on Sunday night.
Tying it up: The game went to overtime after Patrick Wiercioch scored a power-play goal at 13:25 of the third period to tie the game at 2-2. Mark Stone dug the puck out of the corner and he passed to Wiercioch, who was able to skate in on Price and put the puck through the goaltender’s pads.
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![Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty, sedond from right, celebrates his goal past Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond with teammates P.K. Subban, Devante Smith-Pelly, David Desharnais and Andrei Markov, left to right, during second period of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.]()
Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty, sedond from right, celebrates his goal past Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond with teammates P.K. Subban, Devante Smith-Pelly, David Desharnais and Andrei Markov, left to right, during second period of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.
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![Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty goes up against the glass as he celebrates his goal past Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond during second period of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.]()
Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty goes up against the glass as he celebrates his goal past Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond during second period of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.
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![Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, left, celebrates his goal with Andrei Markov during second period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)]()
Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, left, celebrates his goal with Andrei Markov during second period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)
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![Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, centre, brings out his arm to Max Pacioretty (67), following P.K.'s goal during second period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)]()
Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, centre, brings out his arm to Max Pacioretty (67), following P.K.'s goal during second period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)
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![Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond (30) stops Montreal Canadiens right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (21) during first period of Game 2 NHL first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz]()
Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond (30) stops Montreal Canadiens right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (21) during first period of Game 2 NHL first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
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![Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, left, celebrates his goal with Andrei Markov during second period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)]()
Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, left, celebrates his goal with Andrei Markov during second period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)
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![Montreal Canadiens' Devante Smith-Pelly (21) tries to get to puck next to Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond during third period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs.]()
Montreal Canadiens' Devante Smith-Pelly (21) tries to get to puck next to Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond during third period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
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![Ottawa Senators' Patrick Wiercioch slides puck past Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, to tie game 2-2, during third period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs.]()
Ottawa Senators' Patrick Wiercioch slides puck past Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, to tie game 2-2, during third period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
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![Montreal Canadiens right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (21) is knocked to the ice by Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot (3) in front of Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond (30) during third period of Game 2 NHL first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.]()
Montreal Canadiens right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (21) is knocked to the ice by Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot (3) in front of Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond (30) during third period of Game 2 NHL first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.
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![David Desharnais #51 of the Montreal Canadiens passes the puck while falling in front of Mika Zibanejad #93 and Milan Michalek #9 of the Ottawa Senators in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 17, 2015 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.]()
David Desharnais #51 of the Montreal Canadiens passes the puck while falling in front of Mika Zibanejad #93 and Milan Michalek #9 of the Ottawa Senators in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 17, 2015 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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![Montreal Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher and Ottawa Senators' Mark Borowiecki go down on the ice following check during first period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)]()
Montreal Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher and Ottawa Senators' Mark Borowiecki go down on the ice following check during first period action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs. (Pierre Obendrauf / MONTREAL GAZETTE)
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![Ottawa Senators' Curtis Lazar fends off Montreal Canadiens' Alexei Emelin (74) during first period of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.]()
Ottawa Senators' Curtis Lazar fends off Montreal Canadiens' Alexei Emelin (74) during first period of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal.
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![Members of the Montreal Canadiens pile up onto teammate Alex Galchenyuk following his winning goal over the Ottawa Senators during first period overtime of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal. The Canadiens beat the Senators 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.]()
Members of the Montreal Canadiens pile up onto teammate Alex Galchenyuk following his winning goal over the Ottawa Senators during first period overtime of Game 2 NHL Stanley Cup first round playoff hockey action Friday, April 17, 2015 in Montreal. The Canadiens beat the Senators 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
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![Montreal Canadiens crowd around Alex Galchenyuk, back to camera, following goal against Ottawa Senators, during overtime action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs.]()
Montreal Canadiens crowd around Alex Galchenyuk, back to camera, following goal against Ottawa Senators, during overtime action in Montreal on Friday April 17, 2015. The Montreal Canadiens meet the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Max is back: Max Pacioretty celebrated his return to the lineup by scoring a power-play goal at 7:18 of the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Longtime linemate David Desharnais found Pacioretty in the slot and the Canadiens’ leading scorer beat Hammond with a low shot between the goaltender’s skates. The Canadiens went 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Senators went 1-for-3.
Subban comes with the heat: P.K. Subban, who had two assists in Game 1 before he received a game misconduct for slashing Stone, gave the Canadiens their first lead when he blasted a one-timer from the half-wall at 16:30 of the second period. Devante Smith-Pelly was a bit off-target with a cross-ice pass, but Subban played it off the side board and unleashed a shot that was timed at 140 km/h. The Canadiens dominated the second period, outshooting the Senators 14-3.
Opening salvo: The Senators took a 1-0 lead when Clarke MacArthur scored at 18:42 of the third period. He navigated down the middle with some speed and beat Price with a rising shot on the glove side. The Senators had two power plays in the period and Price made a spectacular pad save on Mika Zibanejad during the second advantage. Montreal had one power play and fired half of their 10 shots with the extra man.
Injury update: Pacioretty returned to the lineup after missing three games with a concussion. Right-winger P.A.Parenteau missed the game with an upper-body injury. The status of Ottawa’s Stone was in doubt when he left the morning skate after only seven minutes. And there was a suggestion (threat?) that Ottawa would dress tough guy Chris Neil who has been out since February with a fractured thumb, but he remained on the sidelines as Stone returned.
What’s next: The series moves to Ottawa for Game 3 on Sunday (7 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). The team will travel by bus to Mont-Tremblant after the game. They will enjoy a day off in the Laurentians on Monday and practise in St-Jovite on Tuesday in preparation for Game 4 Wednesday in Ottawa.
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